Other Sports

Athletes use their visual systems in virtually every sport and activity.

Some sports require an athlete to strike a stationary or moving object. In others, a
moving target is involved, or athletes must respond to objects drawing nearer or moving
farther away. They must constantly judge both speed and distance. And all required decision-making is based on accurate visual information.

While the emphasis of certain visual skills differs from one sport to another, these skills are always a critical factor for peak performance. Cross-training them will help you reach a higher level in any activity.

Archery

Auto Racing

Badminton

Biking

Billiards

Bingo

Bobsled

Bowling

Boxing

Cheerleading

Curling

Dog Agility Training

Equestrian

Fencing

Field Hockey

Figure Skating

Fly Fishing

Gymnastics

Horseshoes

Jai Lai

Luge

Martial Arts

Motocross

Parachuting

Polo

Racquetball

Rugby

Skateboarding

Skeet Shooting

Skiing and Snowboarding

Skydiving

Snowmobile racing

Soccer

Sporting Clays

Squash

Swimming & Diving

Table Tennis

Track & Field

Trap Shooting

Triathalon

Volleyball

Water polo

Waterskiing

Wrestling

XGames

Teams Using the VEPT

Sports Vision Performance Testimonials

I am Dr Dorri Goldschmidt. I am an optometrist in Birmingham AL and I am the CEO of Sports Vision South.
Sports Vision South is a high performance vision training center. We use Vizual Edge to evaluate and train the visual skills of our clients.
All athletes are aware of the importance of strength and conditioning to keeping in peak shape. One important area that coaches and trainers may not be working on is the visual skills of a player.
Your eyes provide most of the information you use on a playing field. Training your eyes ability to track precisely, to have focusing flexibility and have visual accuracy is key to performing at your best.
When we use Vizual Edge’s program we are providing strength and conditioning for the visual system. We train the eyes to be stronger and better.

Vizual Edge used to improve aim and depth perception in athletes.

People from ages 5 to 105 can play table tennis, which is one of the many reasons the game has become one of the most popular sports in the world. The game propelled into the spotlight when it became an official Olympic class event in 1988.

Even celebrities are into the sport. "Table tennis has been growing rapidly since the introduction of Susan Sarandon's spin table tennis in bars, restaurants and clubs," says Alan Gulick, professional player and owner of North Bay Table Tennis Academy. "Academy's really took off after researchers announced that they found table tennis can slow effects of Dementia and Alzheimer's the baby boomers really got into the sport," said Gulick.

After a consultation, and watching Gulick play, Robinson videotaped Gulick playing. "We videotaped him before we began training and then took another recording several weeks later and you could noticeably see the difference," said Robinson who firmly believes in visual training after conducting her own research. "I tried the program, and as a former professional soccer player, I wished they had this when I was playing. Vision is so important and can greatly impact playing a wide range of sports," said Robinson. Vizual Edge is a web based vision training program that many athletes say is compared to weight lifting for your eyes.

Within weeks of using the web based program Gulick says his game noticeably improved. "I am now able to play at the table, hit the ball and have time to think and react," said Gulick. Robinson took another recording after Gulick started using Vizual Edge and the results were incredible. "You could see how much his aim had improved and that his depth perception improved," said Robinson who trains athletes in multiple sports and highly recommends strengthening your vision.

Research has been scant on correlation between officiating and visual performance; new study shows

Most calls by officials require correct quality of visual information. A critical call might be the difference between winning and losing for a team. Other visually based studies performed on athletes—including tennis, volleyball, and baseball—have shown that superior athletes possess superior skills. Research has shown that these visual skills, besides eyesight, can be measured and trained.

Officials have similar visual demands as athletes. Therefore, officials should have visual skills comparable to athletes. An official needs not only to be physically fit but also visually fit.

There are many examples of officiating calls that require superb visual perception:

Facilities in Europe are incorporating sports vision to help athletes enhance the visual component

Vision performance services offer new area of expansion for ophthalmic practices

by: Dr. Barry L. Seiller, MBAOcular Surgery News (7/29/2013)

Athletes across the globe, whether professional, amateur or recreational, are embracing new technologies and training methods to boost their performance. But while they lift weights, train in wind tunnels, adhere to strict diets and spend countless hours perfecting techniques, they often overlook one crucial body component: their eyes.

Recent studies are definitive: Athletes with superior vision skills perform better on the playing field. Until recently, however, no quantitative, interactive programs existed in the world of vision training. A U.S.-based company, Vizual Edge, is working to revolutionize the vision training game.

The Effect Of Visual Acuity Degradation On The Visual Judgement Of Sport Officials

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of visual acuity degradation on the visual judgment of sport officials. Visual acuity was analyzed by a standard visual acuity wall chart. Visual judgment was determined by a tennis ball line test where subjects have to determine if balls are classified as "in" or "out".

RESULTS: A paired-samples t test was calculated to compare the mean pretest (normal vision) score to the mean posttest (degraded vision) score. The mean on the pretest was 25.73 (sd = 2.16), and the mean on the posttest was 16.91 (sd = 3.22). The results of the paired-samples t test determined a statistically significant difference between the pretest and posttest scores (t(21) = 2.69, p < .05). CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that degrading the visual acuity of sport officials significantly impairs their ability to make correct line calls.

South African research shows that Rugby Football performance increases with sport vision exercise.

Exercise performance and sports-vision testing under more realistic testin

Sports vision aims to enhance performance through a variety of procedures and training techniques. An improvement in performance was observed by players exposed to the exercises. Visual abilities can affect both motor skill and performance. This study proves that correct training programs and hand-eye co-ordination tests can vastly improve sporting performance. Athletes are advised to complete at least 15 minutes of sport-specific visual training during each day of practice.

Vision training for athletes evolved from reading therapies developed decades ago to help children

A Little Flabby Around the Eyeballs

by: GRETCHEN REYNOLDSNew York Times (2/5/2006)

Vision training for athletes evolved from reading therapies developed decades ago to help children with learning disabilities and people with amblyopia ("lazy eye") concentrate and follow lines of text. Unlike exercises designed to strengthen eye muscles, reading therapy works to improve the eye-brain connection. Sports vision therapy takes it one step further. "It's about eye-hand-foot-body-brain coordination," says Dr. Barry Seiller, an ophthalmologist who is Brett Basanez's vision specialist and the director of the Visual Fitness Institute in Vernon Hills, Ill. "Maybe you foul off the ball a lot, or you have all the technical skills but somehow just can't put it together. You go into slumps. You fail in the clutch. All of that, to us, screams 'visual problems."'